Springless electric push-button switch



p 1950 N. A. MATHEIS 2,523,438

SPRINGLES S ELECTRIC PUSH-BUTTON SWITCH Filed Nov. 19, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l MOZOZdsJZMaZ'heZS M Mm Inventor Sgpt. 26, 1950 N. A. MATHEIS S PRINGLESS ELECTRIC PUSH-BUTTON SWITCH Filed Nov. 19, 1948 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney .YL-PIUNITED STAT-ES, PATENT OFFICE SPRINGLESS ELECTRIC PUSH-BUTTON WIT Nickolas A. Matheis, St. Paul, Minn.

Application November 19, 1948, Serial No. 61,020

invention relates to a novel push button type switch especially adapted for use on audible or visual signals such as door bells, call bells and signals and has for a primary object to. provide av push button type switch of extremely simple construction which utilizes no springs for normally retaining the push button switch in a circuit interrupting position.

2 Claims. (01100 -159) 'Another object of the invention is to provide 7 a push button which will function when mounted in any position.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

, Figure 1 is an elevational view looking toward the outer side of the push button;

Figure 2 is an elevational view thereof taken at right angles of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a central sectional view taken sub stantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevational or plan view of the internal parts of the push button switch with certain of the elements thereof removed;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a plan view of one element of the device; 7

Figure 7 is a plan view of another element thereof;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric circuit of the switch, and

Figures is an edge elevational view, partly in section of another part of the device. I

, Referring-more specifically tothe drawings, the novel push button switch comprising the inventionpisdesignated generally I!) and includes a mounting plate I I having laterally spaced openings I2 and I3 for receiving wood screws I4 and I5 by, which the plate I I is secured to a supporting surface 'IB such as a door jamb. Thescrew I4 carries a washer I'I of electrical insulating material by means of which said screw is insulated from the'plate l I, for a purpose which will here 7 hereinafter become apparent.

A leaf or. plate 21 is swingably connected to a portion of the upper edge of the strip is by a hingev28 and has aplate 29 securedjto its outer side by fastenings 30a. The plate 23 has inte; gral depending end portions forming weighted arms '30 which are normally disposed substantially parallel to the mounting plate II, as seen in Figure 3 and for positioning the plates 2i and 29 in upwardly diverging relationship to the upper portionof the mounting plate 1 I.

The lower portion of the mounting plate is provided with integral struck-up ears 3| having aligned apertures 32 forvreceiving the ends of a pivot pin 33 which extends through the lower portion of .a lever 34, which lower portion is dis posed. between the Years .3I. The intermediate portion of the lever 34 is provided with a laterally opening recess 35for receiving a nut 36 which is secured "toasorew 31 which extends through the inner portion of the lever 34 and the head of a which is disposed on'the inner side of said lever. An electrical conductor 38 which is covered with electrical insulating materialhas a conductor eye 39 on'one exposed end thereof which is mounted on the shank of the screw 31 and against the head thereof and said conductor extends downwardly therefrom between the mounting plate ll and-lever 34 and through a notch 40 in one of thepears :3I. The texposed opposite end of the conductor 38 is likewise provided with a conductor eye 4| which is mounted on the screw I4 and in electrical contact with the eye 24. The inner surface of the upper, free end of the lever 34 is inwardly bowed in alongitudinal direction and bears against the upper edge of the'plate 29, as

' bestaseen-inFigure 3; H

Wood screws 44 which are anchored in surface It for detachably mounting the cover. The central portion of the cover 42 is provided with an opening for loosely receiving an integral outwardly projecting extension 48 of the intermediate portion of the lever 34 which extends loosely through said opening 45 and which is preferably substantially hemispherical and forms a manually engageable push button which is adapted to be pressed inwardly of the cover 42 for swinging the lever 34 inwardly for closing the electric circuit of the push button switch l0.

Assuming that the opposite ends of the conductors 22 and 23 are connected to a source of electric current and also to an audible or visual signal, not shown, it will be readily apparent that when the projection or button 46 is pushed inwardly, the lever 34 will swing inwardly to cause the head of the screw 31 to contact the conductor strip l8 so that current will flow through said strip between the conductors 23 and 38 and since the conductor 38 is connected directly to the conductor 22 at the screw M, the switch II] will thus [be disposed in a circuit closing position. Likewise, when the lever .34 is thus rocked inwardly the hinge plates 2! and 2.9 will be swung inwardly on the hinge 28 toward the mounting plate I! from their full line to their dotted line positions thus causing the weighted arms 30 to swing outwardly from the plate I l, likewise from their full line to their dotted line positions of Figure 3. The weight of the arms 30 is considerably greater than that of the lever 34 so that when pressure on the button 46 thereof is released, the weights 30 will swing downwardly and toward the mounting plate II and back to their full line positions of Figure 3 causing the upper edge of the plate 29 by a camming engagement with the inner edge of the upper portion of the lever 34 to return said lever to its'full line position of Figure 3 or to cause the lever 34 to swing clockwise on its pivot 33 away from the mounting plate ll and so that the head of the bolt v3'! will :be moved out of engagement with the strip Hi to thus interrupt the circuit through the switch I0. The lever 34 is formed of an electrical insulating material.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as mounted on an upright or vertical supporting surface, it will be readily apparent that it will function equally as well when mounted on the upper side of a horizontal surface since the weighted arms 30 are suniciently heavy to raise the lever 34 for breaking the circuit or the push button switch may be mounted on the under side of a horizontally disposed surface in which case the weight of the lever member :30 will return it to a circuit interrupting position.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A push button switch comprising a mounting plate, a stationary electric contact fixed thereto, a swingably mounted member pivotally supported at one of its ends on the mounting plate, a movable electric contact carried by said swingably mounted member for movement therewith into and out of engagement with the stationary contact, a gravity responsive member swingably supported 'on the -mounting .plate and normally assuming a position against the mounting plate, and an element projecting obliquely from said gravity responsive member for sliding engagement with the :swingably amounted ,mem-

ber, adjacent its free end, for normally holding the swingably mounted member in a position whereby the movable contact, carried thereby, is out of engagement with the stationary contact when the mounting plate is supported in either a horizontal or a vertical plane, said gravity responsive member comprising a pair of depending weighted arms disposed to straddle the swingably mounted member when the latter is moved toward a circuit closing position, said element of the gravity responsive member comprising a plate to which said weighted arms are connected, said plate being hingedly connected to the mounting plate and disposed at an oblique angle to the weighted arms to extend upwardly and outwardly relatively to the mounting plate when the arms are in a normal position against the mounting plate, and the free edge of said last mentioned plate engaging a portion of said swingably mounted member for urging the member away from the mounting plate.

2. A push button switch comprising a mount-- ing plate, a stationary electric contact fixed thereto, a swingably mounted member pivotally supported at one of its ends on the mounting plate, a movable electric contact carried by said swingably mounted member for movement therewith into and out of engagement with the stationary contact, a gravity responsive member swingably supported on the mounting plate and normally assuming a position against the mounting plate, and an element projecting obliquely from said gravity responsive member for sliding engagement with the swingably mounted member, adjacent its free end, for normally holding the swingably mounted member in a position whereby the movable contact, carried thereby, is out of engagement with the stationary contact when the mounting plate is supported in either a horizontal or a vertical plane, said gravity responsive member comprising a pair of depending weighted arms disposed to straddle the swingably mounted member when the latter is moved toward a circuit closing position, said element of the gravity responsive member comprising a plate to which said weighted arms are connected, said plate being hingedly connected to the mounting plate and disposed at an oblique angle to the weighted arms to extend upwardly and outwardly relatively to the mounting plate when the arms are in a normal position against the mounting plate, the free edge of said last mentioned plate engaging a portion of said swingably mounted member for urging the member away from the mounting plate, a detachable cover for enclosing said parts having an opening therein, and a projection on said swingably mounted member extending reciprocally through said opening and forming a manually engageable push button.

NICKOLAS A. MATHEIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 394,925 Hoyt Dec. 18, 1888 1,208,780 Heulings, Jr Dec. 19, 1916 1,630,359 Scott May 31, 1927 1,823,083 Brown sept. 15, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 450,394 Germany Oct. 4, 1927 

